


Not Your Fault

by queen_of_arts13



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora POV, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Break Up, Catra POV, Catra probably doesn't have cat ears, College, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Glimadora if you squint, How Do I Tag, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Neglect, POV Multiple, Relationship Problems, Slow To Update, Swearing, catradora, even if it's tearing me apart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2020-12-07 22:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20983559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_of_arts13/pseuds/queen_of_arts13
Summary: Their relationship in high school was great. The summers were fun, the winters were warm. In college it's rocky, and Catra can't seem to understand why Adora prefers her friends over her. She doesn't want to stop seeing Adora, but at the same time she can't stand to look at her face every day. What does she want then, and how long will it take to achieve whatever that is?Falling out of love is hard, and Catra knows it won't happen anytime soon.





	1. Leather Jackets, Promises, and Change

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully this can turn into a long-term sort of story, but I'm busy with school and updates are very sporadic. Good day to you if you're reading this and enjoy!

"You have a lot of nerve saying 'Hello' like nothing happened." Her tone was cold, heart on the edge of collapse. Catra sat at the mahogany desk in her and Adora's college dorm room. Her head rested on her hands, clasped under her chin in a classy fashion; her eyes narrowly, not to mention intimidatingly, stared at the door where Adora had come in. They had been dating since the end of high school, and somewhere along the way things had begun to change. Soon Catra noticed Adora's smiles no longer lit up her face or added those crinkles near her eyes. Soon Adora's eyes weren't watching her with the same intensity; they were always looking behind Catra, searching for something, but Catra never saw anything when she turned her head. Slowly, Adora's sweater-wrapped hand would separate from Catra's, leaving only the cold in its place.

God, that was the thing Catra couldn't stand: change. When she was young her parents got a divorce, and that affected her entire life. Her overprotective mother received custody, they moved to another area, and then her friends were all gone. Adora wasn't falling out of love with her, was she? Even so, couldn't Catra do the same thing if she wanted? No, she learned later, once you fall in love it's so much harder to fall out. She wished everything could stay the same, forever.

That was another thing. Forever. Shouldn't that mean, y'know, forever? Like, not eternity, Catra could never comprehend eternity, but somehow the other seemed real, closer, obtainable. It was what friendships and relationships were supposed to be, and that was more like to the end of your life. Adora promised "forever" a long time ago. . . Ironically, now nothing ever seemed certain between the two of them.

"I know," Adora replied, dropping her backpack by her bed with a _thud._ Then, not bothering to turn her own chair around, she sat down facing Catra on the opposite side of the room.

"You _know_? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Look, ah, what I meant was that I acknowledged the fact we need to talk about this," Adora tried to explain, her eyes darting everywhere but her girlfriend and her hands fidgeting nervously.

"Yeah, so . . . " Catra turned around to sit in her chair the same way as Adora, except her arms were crossed and resting on the top of the backrest. Frankly, she was surprised that she didn't actually know what she wanted to say, having anticipated this moment five days in advance. She was going to give Adora another chance to show up on time, and then they had schoolwork, so it wasn't like they had much time to talk until now. The nerve she had though, not even attempting to text her to set up a time to talk. No, Catra had to laze around on a Saturday doing homework and waiting for her to come home. Naturally, she would already be in a bad mood.

"So . . . ," Adora trailed off, eventually giving Catra one last puppy-eyed glance before continuing.

"I think we/you should break up/spend less time with your friends," they both said at once.

"What?!" Catra shrieked, "I was suggesting a solution, not just flat out—"

"Hey, so was I!" Adora more calmly replied.

"So your solution to everything is running away?" Catra had to ask.

"Oh, so I'm the one who avoids confrontation! _You_ never say what you mean," Adora retorted. It was never like she _didn't_ want to say something, just that there was never a good time, nor way to bring her feelings up. "And what do you mean, spend less time with my friends? I can't just tell them no."

Catra had to laugh at that."Yes, you can." _Oh, this will be rich_. "'Hey Adora, want to go hang out today?' 'Nah, I'm not really feeling it today.' It's not that hard, you do it all the time to me," Catra almost cut herself off during that last part, swallowing the lump forming in her throat and pulling back the tears in her eyes. She forced herself not to bite her lip, having a feeling that might just turn Adora's emotions into arousal. Actually, that might be easier than this. She turned her head and rested her tanned face on her arm, the cushioned cotton sweater like a balloon about to pop.

Adora looked like she had just been hit in the face with her own hand. "I-I'm sorry, Catra. I never thought—"

"Yeah, obviously! I think it's a little too late for 'sorry,' Adora," she said. _Don't get too irritated yet, Catra._ But how can you just accept an apology?

"Could you let me finish? I know I haven't been around lately, but neither have you. I'm not always the only one who can start conversations. Don't think this is only my fault," Adora began to get fussy. Her back straightened up as she rested her hands on her hips.

"You're the one who stood me up, like, five times! We haven't seen each other in weeks! Don't say it's not your fault. But yeah, I guess in your brain it isn't, because you're Adora, the golden girl, nothing is EVER your fault, is it?"

"I didn't say that. You're the one who's being difficult."

"Yep, that's me, difficult, stubborn, and too much pride for my own good. You know what?"

Adora waited for Catra to continue, but it seemed like she wanted Adora to prompt the answer. "What?" Her agitation showed through, even if she hadn't meant it. She honestly wanted to help, but Catra was making this very difficult.

"If you can't accept me with my flaws, then maybe you're right. I was wrong to try to fix this. I guess I can never satisfy you," Catra coldly looked Adora straight in the eyes, then backed away, attempting to convince herself Adora really was the only problem here. A furious look was present on her face as she swiped the pencil jar off her desk and stormed out of their dorm. She didn't bother seeing how Adora was holding up, but on the way out she supposed she didn't have to.

"Then maybe you should fix youself before you bother coming back!"

"What makes you so sure I need you anyway?!" Catra yelled back, tears forming in her eyes once she was in the hallway. That was the last straw. She ran to the lounge, the lump in her throat from before threatening to shove her over an edge. _No, not here, not now, don't cry. You can't cry in front of other people._ She pushed past the other girls in their happy groups, happy couples, just happy individuals. Bet their lives never changed in the ways Catra's did. Adora's other friends were playing Uno at a coffee table between two cushy couches. What were their names again? Glitter and. . . and something with a B? Not that it mattered, since she would never seek them out on her own. They certainly wouldn't care about her and they clearly never have.

Catra ran past them and the other people in the large room, finally pushing the glass doors open to reach the cold, wintery air. With no place in mind to go, she started fast-walking off campus with her hands stuffed in her leather jacket. She shivered. _Stupid Adora, stupid friends, stupid Uno_. Why? Why her, of all people? The only light that remained near her were the sparse lampposts along the sidewalk, giving off a glow as if they were extremely close stars. She wished she had at least brought her fur coat with her.

She walked alone for what felt like hours, feeling numb. Step after step after slow step. Looking down at her feet, she thought she was moving backwards for a moment. _Guess it makes sense, _Catra thought to herself. She hadn't slept in days anyway. Her feet were frozen, even in her cotton-lined boots while her nose and ears were red from the cold. She'd been walking along random sidewalks and streets, hoping to lose Adora as much as she'd already lost herself. Stopping suddenly, Catra looked up to the sky, searching for an answer on what the fuck she was supposed to do now. Should she visit a friend? Then again, what other friends did she have that she actually liked? A hot and heavy sigh emitted her lips as an icy breeze wafted through her unbuttoned jacket—crap, why had she left it open? Freezing fingertips fumbled with the cold metal discs.

It was midnight when Catra left campus.

One when she passed by some frat boys coming back from a night out clubbing.

Around one thirty she allowed her mind to stop being blank and forcefully shoved in some red earbuds. Why hadn't she cried by now? Adora, the love of her life, breaks up with her yet only music could force her feelings out?

The snow started around two a.m. Then came the sniffling, the sobs, the shaking. Catra had settled down—sitting on a light layer of crunchy snow with her knees up to her chest for warmth—near a warm bakery in a nearby town but refused to go in. No thanks, she didn't need the pity from janitors or waitresses.

"Catra?"

Catra's eyes widened as far as possible. Was Adora following her this whole time? What was her problem? She needed to be left _alone_ right now. Quickly, Catra wiped cold leather across her face, mixing with the fresh warmth of tears, and looked up toward the voice, simultaneously ripping out the earbuds.

There stood Scorpia, unmistakable with her mohawk of white hair and black lipstick. She wore a dark multicolored scarf that Catra envied at the moment, a fur-lined black velvet coat with embroidered crisscrossing crab claws on the chest pocket, and dark jeans. They had met this year through astronomy class, and while Catra thought she didn't want her as a friend, Scorpia did manage to cheer her up when it was needed. Catra couldn't believe how glad she was that Adora didn't find her. Otherwise, sobbing over what was mostly her own fault would probably push her even farther away than she already was.

"A-Are you okay? You must be freezing, here, take my coat. Do you want to come over? I can make hot chocolate or—" Scorpia asked, extremely concerned, as was her personality type.

"Keep your coat, you'll just get cold instead. If you want to help, give me your scarf," Catra grumbled low and grouchily.

Scorpia complied and reached a hesitant hand out to get Catra off the chilling ground. As Catra wrapped the scarf around her neck, she frowned, glancing at the hand. That warm, gloved hand. Reluctantly, she stretched her arm away from her own body and let Scorpia pull her up.

"Scorpia."

"Yeah?"

"Personal space?"

"O-oh right. Sorry," Scorpia occasionally forgot the boundaries—the _limits_ Catra set when they first met. That included not standing five inches apart, even for warmth. Catra didn't need pity or a hug or anything else Scorpia would so willingly force onto her.

"What are you doing out so late anyway?" Catra asked.

"You know, when the late night hunger calls you gotta obey," Scorpia replied with a laugh in her husky voice. "I'm gonna go in and get a bagel or something," she gestured to the bakery's wooden door, "Do you want anything?"

"You'd do that for me?" Catra questioned in disbelief.

"Well, yeah, we're friends aren't we? You don't have to pay me back, I can see you aren't in the best spot right now," Scorpia said.

"I'm good, thanks anyway," Catra ignored the rumble in her stomach. _Never show weakness_, a voice hissed inside her.

"Okay. . . I'll be back, alright? I promise," Scorpia gave a warm smile as she walked in the small lit entry and the bell made a distant chime.

Maybe her promise would turn out better than the last.


	2. Snow, Conversations, and Trust

Needless to say, Catra spent the night at Scorpia's apartment off-campus. She still hadn't told her about Adora, since staying up all night warranted a long sleep on a comfy bed (Scorpia insisted and said she could sleep on the couch). Why her classmate had so kindly allowed her into her home was beyond Catra. She was never used to random acts of kindness, but maybe that was why she was drawn to Scorpia as opposed to anyone else in her classes. Originally, it was Adora who would do such things for her: send Catra pictures of herself surrounded with hearts, drape a blanket over her when she napped, buy flowers as surprise gifts, finish homework assignments if she couldn't understand them herself, offer a warm hand or extra sweater in winter, stay up all night holding hands when Catra was lonely. . . Was it even kindness? Come to think of it, what Adora did was out of love, right? The difference between kindness and love nowadays could be a difficult distinction for her. Everyone else knew the things young friends did were out of love of a different kind, but the friends themselves probably thought their actions were kindness. They learn later that it is love. That love can take two permanent forms: romantic or platonic. In Catra's case, her friendship turned romantic. However, looking back on the relationship made her wonder if Adora ever just felt sorry for her, took pity on her, and therefore her "love" would have to have been kindness. Suddenly, Catra's head was spinning with the painful reality the voices within her were saying.

_ Stop thinking about her. She doesn't want you around anymore_.

With an aching heart, Catra climbed out of bed, still wearing her sweater and jeans from last night, the leather jacket on the floor. She picked it up to ask Scorpia where she could put it and walked out of the neat, pink carpeted bedroom to the kitchen and rest of the fairly small apartment.

"Morning, wildcat! Although, not really because you slept 'til one in the afternoon," Scorpia greeted brightly. She was at the kitchen table with her phone and tea, notable by the string hanging outside the mug. Smelled like raspberry. Outside, the sun was shining and snow from last night coated the ground with a good six inches. Wide glass panes revealed the bright white crystals which were reflecting sunlight too blindingly for the bleary-eyed tan girl.

". . . Morning." A wince came with it.

Just seeing Scorpia up early reminded Catra of the days Adora would wake up before her just to go jogging or get extra homework done or catch up on a book she'd been trying to read for a month. In the case of homework, she would be at the desk in their dorm with a lamp on, since the sun never rose before her, a pencil behind her ear or tapping her chin. Otherwise, she'd be smiling. Faintly of course, most of the time Adora never noticed. That was when Catra most enjoyed seeing her, with her golden hair half-down, strands falling in her face, soft light from the small nearby source, smiling and not even knowing how beautiful she was.

Quickly, Catra was snapped out of her daydream when she realized she had no clue what to do. She'd had that feeling last night, but that was more emotional. Now, the feeling was harshly real like the piercing white snow outside. When would she go back for her stuff? Would Adora be there when she did? Where will she sleep? Where can she stay? _What do I want?_

"What do you want to eat? I've got . . . uh, toast? Could make pancakes or waffles if you want," Scorpia offered. "You must be starving! Do you want to talk about last night? OH!! Does it have something to do with that girl you're always with?" She took a casual sip of the supposedly sour tea.

"Do you ever stop talking?" Tiredly, Catra took a seat at the table, which was placed evenly between the sink at the wall across from those big glass windows and the living room carpet, and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples to ease the coming headache. She saw no harm in telling Scorpia about what happened, except. . . "And I really don't want to talk about it."

"C'mon now, the first step to getting over something is allowing the truth to come out."

Catra frowned in response. "Maybe I don't want to get over her!"

"Ah, now we're getting somewhere! So this was a fight? Perhaps a breakup?" Scorpia seemed determined to get to the bottom of Catra's troubles, no doubt she would keep pestering her about it if she spotted her on campus. She also needed someone to tell before the obsession consumed her alive. Semester exams were coming up and she couldn't afford to be distracted for long.

"Uuugh, fiiiine, I'll tell you about it, but I need food first," she groaned. Scorpia told her where to find bread in the wooden cabinets, and she popped two slices into the mini toaster, which was in the same spot. The meal was done within minutes that passed by in silence and the sound of crunching.

"W-we've been dating since high school," Catra quietly started. She cursed her voice for cracking.

Scorpia didn't notice, or didn't care, and instead nodded excitedly for her to continue.

"Well, lately—You know, I can't believe I'm even telling you," Catra leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.

"Nononono! It's alright, I won't be weird, I promise. I mean, I didn't think I was being weird in the first place, but. . . Anyway, I've been there. You break up with a girl and want nothing to do with her because of the big argument, but then you have to see her again and before you know it you're either back together or never have to see each other after that. It gets better once you accept what happened and tell yourself it's okay to feel upset," Scorpia advised.

Catra sighed in defeat. Scorpia may be slightly annoying, but she knew what she was talking about when it came to people. "She'd been—or at least it seemed like she'd been ignoring me for months. I got upset about it—"

"Rightfully so."

"—because, I mean, we've been best friends for _15 fucking years_. How could I let it slide that she was spending so much time with her new friends and not me? I felt like she left me for a bunch of airheaded populars. Whenever she took time to spend with other people in the past, I was fine. She always made room for me on weekends and evenings. Now she won't even answer my texts._ . _." Catra continued, voice raising in anger, then quieting down,". . . I'm gonna tell you something that's been bothering me. Adora said she wouldn't tell anyone—maybe she didn't think it mattered—but before our breakup argument there was another one. It got, ah, more physical, I guess you could say, kinda. . . mostly. . . my fault. I-I. . . " Catra looked down at her arms on the table, curling her hands into fists and shoving them into her lap to avoid the memory. Tears threatened to emerge from her rapidly blinking eyes.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Scorpia's expression was unreadable, but if Catra had to guess, she most likely felt surprised, horrified, and possibly a twinge of fascination.

"I'm trusting you." Huh, something she rarely did. "But she got into it too. I still feel bad about initiating it, but it's not like she didn't leave scars either. The last thing she said was that we both needed space but that she still loved me. So that's what I did. I let her be and had my thoughts to myself until our fight last night." Catra moved her eyes down to the table again. She had gotten into the habit of pretending to zone out, or at least that's probably what other people thought. If something bored her or she was tired or just plain confused, Catra would never look anywhere specific. She'd let her vision blur, yet still listen attentively to her surroundings. This kind of visual isolation began around the time she realized no one seemed to care about her anymore, not even Adora. They didn't deserve to look her in the eyes.

"Catra. . . You might not want to hear this, but. . . You need to talk to her. Even if she told you to, you know, 'get the heck away,'" she used air quotes, "she must still have feelings for you. You've known each other longer than anyone else I've heard of being friends. Give her a hug and let her see the good in you. Girls like to talk and hear the truth, at least in my experience." Scorpia ended sheepishly with a hand rubbing the back of her head.

"I- You think she'll still let me live with her?"

"Depends how well your conversation goes, in all honesty."

"But what if it doesn't go well? At all?"

"Then I have room here," Scorpia had rested her head on her hand. "Friends don't walk out on each other, so I'm sure she'll think about it at the least. Trust me, it'll be okay." She offered a wide smile.

Catra had to smile, just a little. Her eyes softened, then hardened again once the realization kicked in. She had to talk to Adora again, apologize, hope she would believe her. See her another time. Soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been working on this for a while, sorry for any inconsistencies. I really didn't know what direction I wanted to take this story, so it's kinda just continually developing.  
Got a huge burst of feels from season 4 too, how are you doing after that?


	3. Connections, Guilt, and Plants

Everything she did was harsh. With emotion. And heart. Not that "cool girl" ruggedness, but the kind of coarseness that comes from a hardworker. She had the sandpapery touch originating from years of hardship. Whenever she was holding something, her fingers would squeeze so tight you could see them turn white, as if she was afraid whatever was in her hands would slip away the second she loosened up. When she held a pencil, her hand cramped and her writing was bold. She always cried tears of frustration, not sadness, and did everything to the best of her abilities. That's what Adora admired about Catra. She was persistent and determined, and she thought with her heart. She was decisive, but deceitful. Adora felt like her own personality was the opposite. In their youth, they'd both been troublemakers, but that really stuck with Catra more throughout the years, and maybe it was her way of showing that she cared. Wreaking havoc was something Catra only did with people she liked and could trust. She loved being able to show the more insecure and wild side of her to someone else. No matter how twisted Catra's reasoning seemed, Adora was one of the few people who could actually determine what her true intentions were.

That was why Adora could forgive Catra more easily than others. She knew that a lot of what Catra did was out of love, especially when it came to her. The physical fight they'd had a while ago surprisingly didn't make that much of an imprint in her mind. Was it because Adora felt guilty for some of the things that happened beforehand? Did she feel she deserved it? Maybe, but she wouldn't let that happen again. That was toxic thinking. She had made her peace with the event, and that was all that mattered.

A day and hours of debating later, she definitely knew blowing up at Catra was something she wouldn't regret. Definitely. Maybe not in the way she did it—the words she'd used—but her exposed thoughts would allow Catra to grow a bit as a person and see how she really treats people.

Adora paused the tapping of her pencil against her temple. She was completing some math problems for the stupid calculus class she needed in order to graduate before meeting up with Glimmer and Bow for lunch at this rainforest-themed restaurant they loved. Sitting crisscrossed-applesauce from the spot on her bed, Adora looked over to the desk Catra sat at yesterday. Then she shifted her gaze to the pencils on the floor she refused to pick up. _What if Catra didn't bother to change herself?_ No, she would. Adora knew her, loved her, and knew that if Catra loved her too she would think about what was said.

Quickly and with a skip in the rhythm of her heart, Adora closed up her stuff and grabbed a coat to wear outside. She headed out to meet up with her friends in the well-lit lobby downstairs. Thoughts of Catra were forced out of her mind for the time being. She was going out to get fresh air and have some fun.

"That's not your coat." Glimmer playfully poked at Adora's arm, only half hiding a smug grin, as the blond realized her mistake and a furious blush rose to her cheeks and ears. The staticky fur collar poked at her neck. _How could Catra stand this thing?_

"Oh well, I'm already down here and hungry, so let's go," Adora said. She huffed and trudged along ahead of them. Bow and Glimmer gave each other a look of slight worry before jogging to catch up.

The trio preferred walking places together as opposed to driving. If no one was in charge of a car, then everyone could contribute to the conversation and no accidents could happen. Plus, Bow always tried to get everyone some fresh air. With all the stuffy, occasionally sweaty oxygen inhaled in classrooms and dorms, you could never really enjoy what you were doing. He kept a bunch of plants in his room, so he was constantly conscious of the effects of a positive atmosphere on a living creature. Ever since he began watching documentaries and nature programs, he had this weird belief that if you were sad around his plants, they would wilt.

Glimmer would occasionally argue with him about it, clearly stating her beliefs were more realistic, but never in front of the plants. Bow knew deep down she really did care.

On the way to the restaurant, the group was boisterous, not caring what people thought of them. Adora loved that sense of familiarity and friendship. No one could judge them when they had each other. Upon their arrival, less "would you rather" questions came up and their conversation turned more casual, discussing classes, family, and holidays.

They were ushered to a round table in the middle of the large room filled with couples, families, and other groups of friends and given menus to order from. Once the group had decided what they wanted, they continued conversation and Adora's thoughts absentmindedly roamed back to Catra. She wondered what her best friend was doing at the moment. _Could she be thinking about me?_ Realizing she still had Catra's coat, Adora suddenly felt guilty for wanting to rush out of the dorm. She shrugged it off her shoulders to lay it across the back of her chair, hoping the sickening feeling would leave her gut. Though it was uncomfortable in their room and remembering the events of the previous night, she could have left a note or something in case Catra decided to come back looking for the overcoat. . . _Did she even want to come back?_ Catra was always one to be stubborn, but a technical breakup was never something she had to deal with before. It was a possibility that she would just give up, right? Thinking about Catra left Adora oblivious to how much the conversation between her friends was diminishing.

"Hey, you've been quiet for quite a while, Adora," Bow said, "Is something wrong? You're usually the loudest one in the group." He gave a short laugh, but quickly furrowed his dark eyebrows and crossed his arms next.

"Wha- really? No, I was just listening to you guys. I'm perfectly fine." She pondered what would happen if Catra didn't realize how toxic she could be. Had she made it clear enough when Catra stormed out?

"You sure? Come to think of it, you've been getting paler every minute," Glimmer added, concern and confusion wedging their way into her voice. She leaned forward across the table to focus better on the blond.

"Of course," Adora said, suddenly stiff.

"Adora, you can tell us if something's bothering you, we're your friends," Glimmer told her reassuringly. Bow nodded in agreement. The background noise from other chit chats were somewhat betraying the privacy that this should have occurred within. The waiter awkwardly poking around their table wasn't helping the situation either.

"Well nothing's wrong! Everything's normal, nothing happened, I didn't do anything wrong!" She slammed her hands on the table, half-rising out of her cushy chair. _Yes you did_, a voice replied for her inside her head. Glimmer must have been frightened by the panic in her eyes because she leaned back, startled.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down," Bow started. His hand moved toward hers to calm her down."Adora, what—"

"How's Catra, then?" Glimmer was staring at her with wide eyes, expression unreadable.

Somehow that felt like a slap in the face. How was it so obvious that the thing bothering her was Catra? Adora placed her hands over her face, leaving her voice to come out as mere mumbling. Thankfully, she didn't have to answer clearly right away as their waiter came back with their orders. The group ate in an uncomfortable silence, mainly poking at the delicious meals, having lost their appetites to the bitter discussion. Each stole a glance at the other in between bites, malice hidden in Adora's eyes to protect what she felt she needed to hide. She'd been good at everything her entire life, so how could she have messed up this badly? Eventually the silence became too much for the boy with the large, misty puppy eyes.

"Come on guuuuuyyys," Bow said, voice cracking slightly. "We can't let this tension last, it's totally bad for all the plants here!"

Looking around at the huge plants and other rainforesty decorative items, Glimmer answered, "The majority of them are fake, Bow."

"Still. . ." he continued with a solution. "Adora, you need to tell us what happened if you want us to help. Glimmer, we can't make assumptions like that. If it's that personal, she'll get to it on her own."

Glimmer grumpily rolled her eyes, head held up high and arms crossed. As soon as her little tantrum started it ended since she knew Adora needed her now.

"It's fine, Bow," Adora sighed out. "I want you guys to be able to help with stuff and I'll gladly do the same for you too. And yes, it does deal with Catra," she said hesitantly, shifting her gaze to the pink-haired girl.

"Adora. . . I know we aren't big fans of Catra, but that doesn't mean we don't want you to be happy. What happened?" Glimmer's soft voice was comforting and welcoming now more than ever.

". . . We got into a fight. And technically broke up," Adora said. She ran a hand through her hair in nervousness. It wasn't in a ponytail today due to the freakish cold.

"Why? Er, over what?" Glimmer asked, not entirely hiding her irritation.

"Well, we hadn't seen each other in weeks. . . kinda because I had been hanging out with you guys—" Adora looked away from their faces before being cut off.

"She can't expect you to not see us! That's completely unfair!" Glimmer jumped to conclusions that were fairly accurate.

"She _did_ say that, but she's never had anyone really close to her before, of course she's going to get jealous of you guys. And I . . . I guess I really did ignore her attempts to get together when we had time," Adora was beginning to realize her faults, feeling stupid for making Catra feel jealous and snubbed. "I never sought her out because I was having so much fun with you guys. I could have done better too, huh?" She mainly asked herself.

"We can _try_ to get along with her, you know," Bow suggested. "It's not like we _hate_ her, I mean, well, we kind of do. . . But that's because we just don't know much about her like you do! We haven't been able to see all the wonderful sides of her."

"That's the thing, though. She. . . hasn't shown those sides in a long while. . . I wanted to get her to realize it's okay to feel stuff other than condescension and that she should create relationships with other people besides me," Adora explained.

"And you wanted to do that by making her mad? Gee, Adora, I never thought of you as _manipulative_," Glimmer narrowed her eyes and smirked, laying a hand on her chin.

"I wasn't trying t—" Adora cut herself off. Neither of them were really coming off as the _good _guy. "Oh _shit_. Before she stormed out, Catra also said she thought I didn't accept her the way she was. . . which was true, but what if she thinks I won't like her if she changes?!"Adora arrived at the epiphany quite late, but the important thing was that she now knew she had to fix her part too. "Come on you guys, we gotta go! Help me think of some way to apologize, please!" She stood up to put on her—Catra's coat. The other two got up while they all pulled out their wallets and paid the bill together.

"Adora, are you even sure she wants to get back together?" Bow asked, trying not to hurt her feelings in the process.

Adora paused in the middle of shrugging the coat on around her neck, then turned to him with a determined look. "It doesn't matter. I won't let the opportunity pass me by."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, sorry this took so long, but thank you for sticking around if you did! I feel like I have more of a grasp on Catra's character since I relate more to her, but Adora was a nice change of pace. There will be more in her POV coming up!  
P.S. Dang, writing is hard. Hehe, I can't keep track of what I've already explained or not.


End file.
